Historic Homes Of Waterville Tour Gives Guests A Glimpse Of Past

A soak in the tub is more relaxing while watching the Maumee River and deer in the back yard. MIRROR PHOTOS BY KAREN GERHARDINGER

The façade of the Spitler-Rombes House at 113 S. River Rd. has a Southern Colonial feel, thanks to a 1970 addition designed by Bill Wumer.

Diane and Nick Rombes moved into this home in 1965.

BY KAREN GERHARDINGER | MIRROR REPORTER — From down the street and across Northwest Ohio, the guests who wanted a glimpse into the Historic Homes of Waterville came to the Waterville Historical Soc-iety’s first tour since 1989. Nearly 300 tickets were sold for the June 17 tour, and with expenses covered by sponsors, the funds will go toward WHS preservation work, reported member Rose Kandik. Sitting outside the Spitler-Rombes House at 113 S. River Rd., volunteers Scott Duncan and Chuck Larkins chatted with Nick Rombes, who has lived in the Southern Colonial-style home with his wife Diane since 1965. “It was a pre-war bungalow with a little porch,” he said of the 1927 home that started as a livery stable. In 1970, Nick saw Bill Wumer – the builder of Williamsburg on the River and Perry’s Landing – remodeling the neighbor’s house. He asked Wumer to give him some ideas for an addition. “He went to the sidewalk and started sketching. This is the plan he came up with,” Nick said, motioning to the front of the home with its veranda, high peak and white pillars. “This has been a house of a lot of fun.” A 9-foot wood table and sideboard made by Nick greet visitors walking into the dining room, where a cabinet displays Diane’s late father Bob Parsil’s glasswork, which was featured in the Toledo Museum of Art. Like her father, who also painted and sketched, Diane is a well-rounded artist. Her artwork of birds, nature and people dots the walls throughout the house, which is a mixture of historical and contemporary styles. The view of the river is riveting, whether standing in the pantry, soaking in the claw-style white tub or lounging on the swing that hangs from the tree in the back yard. “I swing on it all the time,” Diane said with a smile. The Rombeses’ home was one of six featured in the homes tour. Because of 80 volunteers and generous donors, it was successful enough that visitors are asking for a Christmas tour, Kandik said. In the meantime, the WHS will host open houses and walking tours of its downtown museums, the Sargent House and Robbins House, on Saturday, June 24 from 9:00 a.m. to noon. The Wakeman Archival Center will be open from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. For information, visit www.watervillehistory.org.